


something worth living for

by FridayKnights



Category: One Piece
Genre: Angst and Hurt/Comfort, Kissing, Love Confessions, M/M, Thriller Bark
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-02-25
Updated: 2019-02-25
Packaged: 2019-11-05 14:31:00
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,512
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17920613
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/FridayKnights/pseuds/FridayKnights
Summary: Zoro seeks out Sanji to talk about the incident at Thriller Bark, but little does he know it’s Sanji who needs to talk about it the most. In the end, everything is smoothed out with a kiss.





	something worth living for

**Author's Note:**

> I’m so bad at summarizing stories, I am so sorry. This is set after thriller bark, Zoro seeks out Sanji to talk about what happened... read the rest to find out ;)

The words were ever present in his mind, no matter what he did, Zoro couldn’t help but think about Sanji’s words of self sacrifice just so a shitty swordsman like himself could live. He’d been upset at first, his pride had been stung by Sanji stepping between himself and Kuma as he begged for his life to be taken in exchange for Luffy’s. It took him a week or so to realize that Sanji hadn’t entirely been so suicidal for Luffy’s sake like Zoro was at that time, and when he that finally clicked in his mind he didn’t know what to think. 

If Zoro had died that day he would have gone out with only one regret: not becoming the world's greatest swordsman, meaning that he couldn’t keep his promise to Kuina. Just knowing that he gave it his all and never gave up, dying for the sake of the future king of pirates and the rest of the Strawhats crew, Zoro would have been fine with exchanging his life for their future. 

The last thing he expected was Sanji, out of all people, to stand up for him. Not only had he jumped into his fight with Kuma beforehand to defend Zoro- and he would have died if Sanji hadn’t done so, but to also say that his own life should be taken in exchange for Zoro’s… he didn’t know how to take it. Too many emotions had coursed through his body at the time, but his composure absolutely  _ snapped  _ when Sanji said “I’m sorry, but you’ll have to find another cook.”

All Zoro could think of at the time was that there was no one else who could replace Sanji, and as the thought crossed his mind he was on his feet and knocking the wind out of Sanji, making the cook fall to the ground. The intimacy between at that moment burned Zoro’s skin. Sanji had  _ never  _ held onto him like that before and the look in his eyes before passing out was etched into the swordsman's brain. There was no way in hell he was going to let Sanji die just because he wasn’t strong enough, he knew he’d sacrifice himself for his cook, too. Zoro did what he felt needed to be done. He threw down his swords and begged. 

“Take my life instead.” He said, all the while hearing Sanji’s words ring in the back of his mind.  _ Take my life in exchange for the swordsman… I’d die gloriously that way.  _

Instead of dying, Zoro took on all of the pain that Luffy had felt during battle and it nearly killed him in the process, but what kind of man, and crew mate, would he be if he couldn’t carry the pain of his captain? That’s what kept Zoro sane throughout the whole ordeal. That and…

Sanji had been the one to find him afterwards when his body was drenched in blood and heavily wounded. He stood tall and proud even with all the pain he was feeling. His lungs were ready to give out on him but he kept breathing. His legs wanted to buckle under him, but Zoro remained standing. Hearing Sanji’s voice had snapped him back into reality, but he couldn’t have moved if he wanted to. All he could do was stand there and accept the pain. 

“You had me so worried!” Sanji had sounded so relieved as he walked up to Zoro, but panic had set in only seconds later. “Where did all that blood come from?! Is it yours?! Where’s the warlord?! Oh god, are you  _ dead? _ What happened!”

The array of questions would have annoyed Zoro on a regular day, but damn was it nice to hear that Sanji have a shit about him. 

“Nothing happened.” Zoro choked out. It was hard to speak with the pressure on his lungs. 

Sanji was smart enough not to push it any further. Zoro was able to turn his head and see Sanji, panicked expression and all, before he finally passed out. 

It’s been a little over a week since everything went down. Zoro slept for two days, which he needed more than anything, and had felt fine. Sanji seemed distant but smiled as he made his way past Zoro, he was probably relieved to see that Zoro was up and walking around again. 

Zoro couldn’t help but feel as if they needed to talk about it, which he really didn’t want to do because that meant he also needed to confess what feelings he had for Sanji in order for it to be a conversation worth having. Seriously, what point would there be just to say  _ don’t ever do some sacrificial shit like that again _ without explaining that Zoro only felt that way because he loved Sanji and couldn’t bare to see him die? 

He was also smart enough to know that Sanji probably knew something about what happened after the blackout, someone must have saw or overheard. If he did know, Sanji made it look like he didn’t. That pissed off Zoro, and really it shouldn’t have. The cook was trying to protect his feelings, but most importantly his pride. 

Right now Zoro didn’t care about his pride, he cared about Sanji and what the hell all of this was supposed to mean, because it felt like more than two teammates sacrificing their lives for their crew and more like Sanji throwing himself into Kuma’s mercy so Zoro wouldn’t die. In that moment, Zoro felt like Sanji actually cared about  _ him.  _ And as much as he hated to admit it, he wanted to feel like that all of the time. He wanted the constant reminder that Sanji actually gave a shit about him, that he gave a shit about Zoro’s  _ life _ and whether he lived or died. 

The conversation needed to happen and soon. 

He finally caught Sanji alone in the aquarium later that night. Dinner was over with and cleaned up after, most of the crew in bed aside from Usopp who had taken first watch, and Franky was working on something below deck. Since Franky and Usopp weren’t terribly nosey, Zoro knew he could get Sanji alone long enough to talk. 

“Hey.” Zoro sat down next to Sanji, who only glanced up at him over his book. The tension in the room was high all of a sudden. 

“I think we should talk.”

“About what, marimo?”

“You know exactly what. Don’t play dumb with me, cook.”

Sanji sighed and snapped his book close. He obviously wasn’t ready for the conversation, either. 

“You didn’t need to-“ 

“I know I didn’t need to, Zoro. You think I was really gonna sit there and watch you throw your life away?!”

“I wasn’t throwing my life away, I was doing it for Luffy, our  _ captain _ ! If you’re not willing to die for your captain, then he’s not worthy of being a captain. I have faith in Luffy and will do anything for my captain to achieve his dream. What kind of man would I be if-“

“I get it, I really do, but try and see it from my point of view, will you?”

“I’m trying, believe it or not, I thought you’d understand my pride was at stake, too!” 

They were both standing now, trying their best to not yell in each other’s faces because it would wake up the whole ship. Sanji grabbed Zoro by the collar of his shirt and pulled him closer. 

“I was scared, jackass. I was so scared that in that moment that was the only thing I feel like I could do.” 

Sanji’s voice was soft, almost a whisper. The grip of his hand went slack on Zoro’s collar. He moved and rested his head on the other’s shoulder. Zoro wasn’t sure how to handle the sudden embrace, especially when the hand that had been on his shirt was treading into his hair, and Sanji’s other hand came to rest on his neck. 

“I don’t know if I could live with myself if anything were to ever happen to you; especially if it’s something that I could have prevented. To watch you die would have been a nightmare for me. I couldn’t do it, Zoro.”

He stilled at the sound of his name as it rolled so beautifully off Sanji’s lips. He couldn’t remember the last time he heard the cook call him by his given name. 

“When I woke up and saw only your swords, I panicked. I thought you were  _ dead _ and I ran until I found you. You know what I saw when I did? I saw  _ you  _ covered in blood, unmoving. At first I was so relieved that I found you and that you were alive, but when I saw the blood-“

Sanji pulled his arms tighter around Zoro’s shoulders. 

“I was so fucking scared.  _ So _ fucking scared that I lost you. I didn’t know what to do. I didn’t know what to feel. I felt guilt, I was angry, I was sad, I can’t begin to tell you how this all makes me feel because I don’t understand it all.” 

In response, Zoro returned his embrace and wrapped his own arms around Sanji’s waist. He pulled the cook in close and held him, he knew the other man had tears in his eyes, he could feel the tears as they dampened his shirt, but he didn’t comment. 

It seemed that Sanji wasn’t the one who really needed to talk about it.

“I’m not taking back anything that I said,” Sanji spoke after a moment. “If I had to do it all over again, I would do it all the same. I said it already, I’d be grateful to die in your place. Your life holds much more value than mine.”

“How can you say that?” Zoro pulled back from their hug just enough to look down at Sanji, who was hiding his face in Zoro’s chest.

“Say what?”

“You say it as if your life means nothing. Like it means nothing to the crew, like it means nothing to  _ me _ , when your life means everything to us..  _ to me _ .”

Sanji looked up at him with such a raw look in his eyes that it made Zoro’s heart leap. He looked at him with such desperation and hurt in his eyes that Zoro was almost speechless. Sanji was searching for something with those eyes of his, and what Zoro said had been it. 

“I matter?” He says softly. 

“To me, and to everyone else here. You know that. And if I ever hear you say that I gotta find another cook I’ll kill you myself. There’s no one in the world who could replace you.” 

“We’re both idiots, you know that right?”

Zoro has been ready to protest but was stopped by the sudden smile that spread across Sanji’s lips. 

“I love you.”

“I know that, marimo. I wish I hadn’t found out in such a literal life or death situation.”

“I don’t know what I’d do if you had actually died, either. Probably couldn’t live with myself.” Zoro confesses. “Couldn’t let you die, not for me, I barely deserve that.”

“Believe it or not but you’re good to have around, some people may or may not enjoy your company.” 

“Oh? Are you one of those people, cook?” 

“Hardly.” He lied. “It was just a thought.” 

“Sure.”

“We don’t have to keep hugging, you know..” Sanji said after a moment. They’d been standing there in each other’s arms. Sanji listened to the way Zoro’s heart was beating while treasuring the feeling of the swordsman’s hands around his waist. 

“I like it. I feel like we won’t have a chance to do this again for a while.”

“Why do you think that?”

“I just gotta bad feeling. Can’t explain it.” He said. “So I’m soaking it up while I can.”

“Did you wanna do more?”

“Like what? You gonna hold my hand next?”

“No, you idiot!” He kicked Zoro in the shin, not very hard, and looked up at him with a furious blush on his cheeks. “I meant kissing!”

“You wanna?” He asked, a little suspicious but completely willing. It’s not like he hadn’t thought about it before. Considering how annoying Sanji looked, asking him if he wanted to was a stupid question, and maybe it was, Zoro tended to say  _ something  _ that made Sanji wanna kick his ass. 

And Zoro loved it that way. 

“Obviously, marimo!”

“Nothing is obvious with you, until a few days ago I thought you hated me!”

“Well I don’t! So hurry up and kiss me, asshole!” 

Zoro took Sanji’s face in his hands and meshed their lips together. His fingers soon found their way into soft strands of blonde hair. The cook’s hands were on his necks; his thumbs gently caressing his jaw as their kiss deepened.

It wasn’t exactly how Zoro had fantasized their first kiss to be. In his mind there was much less clothes involved, a little sake, and Sanji begging on his knees for something more. Zoro wasn’t expecting much more than sharing a kiss between them, though, and honestly the kiss all on its own was perfect. 

It made Zoro truly feel alive, like kissing Sanji was something worth living for. 

Both of their jaws were tired after their intense make out session, Zoro was able to get a little squeeze here and there, some grinding of the hips, a little moaning, it was all so perfect. Sanji was perfect. 

They were both sitting together on the couch, Sanji was straddling Zoro’s thighs, and Zoro had his hands touching whatever the cook allowed him to touch. 

“The next time we kiss, can it not be because we both almost died?” Zoro asked him before pressing a lazy kiss to his cheek. “Cause I’d like to kiss you more often.”

“Maybe, If you catch me on a good day you can get all the kisses you want.”

“I’m holding you to it, cook.” 

“Whatever, marimo, but next time you feel like you got a death wish just remember there’s at least  _ someone  _ who gives a shit if you live or die.” 

“I hope that someone is you.”

“Of course it is, but everyone else does too. Have a little more faith in us.”

“I have nothing but faith in you guys, don’t ever think otherwise.” Zoro sighed and rested his head against Sanji’s shoulder. “I don’t regret anything I said or did, just like you, I’d do it all the same.”

“I figured as much, I didn’t expect you to change your way of thinking. Luffy is lucky to have someone like you, you know.”

“I would have done it for you, too. I  _ did _ do it for you.” He corrected himself. “I’ll do it again if I have to.”

“I know. Me too.”

“Can I kiss you again?” Zoro asked as if he weren’t already leaning in for another kiss. Sanji couldn’t help but smile as he watched Zoro’s eyes slide shut. 

“You don’t even have to ask, marimo.”

**Author's Note:**

> Eventually I will write the next kiss they share after the time skip!! I hope you all enjoyed


End file.
